MAIN Home Life House & Home Moving South Carolina

Bordered by North Carolina to the north, Georgia to the south and west, and by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the state is an entrenched part of the New South with a growing population attracted by South Carolina's moderate property taxes, low cost of living, and good old-fashioned southern hospitality.

Textiles and cotton were once "king" in South Carolina, but today its economy is a diverse one that includes harvesting lumber from its millions of acres of forests, commercial fishing of shrimp and crabs off its Atlantic coast, and further inland bumper crops of peaches, pecans, peanuts and sweet potatoes. Other major industries include chemicals, heavy machinery and automobiles.

Tourism is another chief South Carolina industry centering around popular coastal resorts at Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head Island, historic tours of Columbia and Charleston, along with stunning upstate Blue Ridge Mountain vistas in the northwestern part of the state.

• Demographics : (South Carolina Census Data)
  Major cities: Columbia (capital), Charleston, Greenville
  Population : 4,321,249
  White : 68.4%
  Black, African American : 29.2%
  Hispanic : 3.3%
  High school graduates : 76.3%
  Bachelor's degree or higher : 20.4%
  Average household income: $39,454
  
  
• Crime : see South Carolina Crime Statistics
  
  
• Cost of Living: Sperling's Best Places - South Carolina - Compared to the rest of the country, South Carolina's cost of living is 12.98% lower than the U.S. average.
  
  
• Property Taxes : South Carolina Tax Climate - Comparatively modest property tax collection amounts to $882 per capita, ranking South Carolina 33rd highest nationally.
  
  
• Housing & Real Estate Overview : also see Zillow - South Carolina Real Estate
  Home ownership rate : 72.2%
  Average home price : $158,900
  Average travel time to work : 24.3 minutes
  
  
• Schools : see South Carolina Department of Education
  
  
• Weather : Like most of U.S. southern states, South Carolina is uniformly hot and humid during the summer. Temperatures are more variable in winter, from mild along the coast to below freezing further inland and in the upstate Blue Ridge Mountain region.

More about relocating to South Carolina around the Web:

Moving to South Carolina - The official South Carolina government portal with information on demographics and cost of living data, jobs & employment, healthcare and hospitals within the state.

Moving to South Carolina Tax Guide - Introduction to the state's tax structure with information on income tax and deductions, property taxes, sales and use tax, vehicle registration.

South Carolina City Data Forums - Busy message boards with tips & advice on moving to Charleston, Columbia, the Greenville - Spartanburg area and York & Lancaster counties including information on cost of living, apartments and real estate, property taxes, schools, retirement and related topics.

The City of Columbia - The official site offering facts and information on city history, neighborhoods, area attractions, services, parks & recreation areas, city job listings, related links.

Charleston South Carolina Relocation Guide - One-stop browsing for apartment & real estate brokers, job listings, area grocers and supermarkets, banks, schools, hospitals, churches & houses of worship, area attractions and entertainment.

South Carolina Real Estate, Apartments & Job Classifieds:

• Charleston : Post & Courier
• Columbia : The State
• Greenville : News

also see -> South Carolina Beaches | South Carolina Eviction Laws

South Carolina Fall Foliage | South Carolina Taxes | South Carolina Tourism

South Carolina Wine Tours | Christmas in South Carolina